


Look Ahead

by ideallyqualia



Series: Rare Pairs [48]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Universe, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 21:26:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4761617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ideallyqualia/pseuds/ideallyqualia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yahaba has to learn not to trust Kindaichi's judgement.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Look Ahead

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for the practice match against Aobajousai. I think everyone knows what happens there by now since it's early in the series, but I still want to warn for spoilers.

The way Kindaichi built him up, Yahaba expected him to be terrifying. Or a jerk. Mean, talented, maybe not insufferable in the same way Oikawa was, but still worse.   

Kageyama wasn't really like that at all. He was tall, but he didn't have the kind of presence some tall people had. He was just frowning intensely.

Yahaba leaned closer to Kindaichi. "Is that actually Kageyama?"

"Just wait." Kindaichi waved his hand. "It'll show up. As soon as someone messes up."

Yahaba didn't know how much stock he could place in Kindaichi's words. Kindaichi sounded mad from something that happened months ago, so there had to be some bias coming from him. Yahaba had to watch Kageyama in the practice match anyway, he had to guard against another setter and watch where he sent his tosses, so Yahaba wasn't going to miss anything Kageyama did. 

The tosses came fast. Kageyama sent them effortlessly, setting them up in patterns that reflected real skill and experience. It wasn't a pattern that Yahaba could predict, so it couldn't be called a pattern, but Yahaba didn't know how else to describe it. Yahaba felt the looming pressure of having to fill Oikawa's spot next year, and now he was starting to see why Oikawa was bitter about Kageyama. If Oikawa's skill level made Yahaba nervous, and Kageyama did the same to Oikawa, then Kageyama really had to be some kind of prodigy.

After Karasuno's short spiker sent a serve right into Kageyama's head, Yahaba snorted. "He doesn't look mad to me, Kindaichi."

Kindaichi jerked away. "Shut up." 

Kageyama wasn't exactly accommodating to his team, but he kept from yelling and snapping. The longer the game went on, Kageyama refraining from his uncooperative attitude, the more annoyed Kindaichi got. His mouth and nose pinched up, and he stomped around and grimaced at Kunimi. It was entertaining, but Yahaba had to hide his laughter under his hand when he accidentally made noise. Yahaba still paid attention to the game, he just managed to fit in a laugh between points.

In the middle of the second set, Kageyama's toss flew to the side, in the empty space of the court where he didn't have any spikers. Yahaba didn't have time to think about it before an orange blur bolted by, and the ball was actually spiked down, shooting over the net. Everyone from Aobajousai froze and belatedly stared with wide eyes.

Kindaichi looked like he was having trouble breathing through his nose. Yahaba didn't think Kindaichi was actually thinking about the toss, just the quick and the incredible speed, but Yahaba was thinking about it all. He was looking them both over, trying to put together the toss and spike. 

Yahaba clapped Kindaichi on the shoulder, startling him into stumbling. "He's nothing like you said, Kindaichi."

It was a good idea that Oikawa wasn't here to see all of this, since this seemed like a new development based on Kindaichi and Kunimi's reactions, but Yahaba felt overwhelmed watching without even knowing about their history. He wanted to see the toss, pick out how it worked and why, but he couldn't do that while playing in the game. 

Even though Yahaba tried, Aobajousai lost. Oikawa returned too late, and Yahaba couldn't put up a satisfactory fight against Kageyama.

Oikawa patted his back consolingly. "You did your best."

Yahaba sighed. "Yeah, sure."

He trudged around to help clean up, sluggish from both exhaustion and wariness. He eyed Kageyama as he folded the net and pushed the equipment cart, glancing up and down and frowning when he noticed Kageyama wasn't that tired. Kageyama had obvious sweat on his forehead, and he wiped it off with his arm, but he just didn't look exhausted the way Yahaba felt.

Kindaichi bent forward to catch Yahaba's attention. "Why are you staring at Kageyama?"  

"What?"

Kindaichi raised an eyebrow, and when Yahaba narrowed his eyes back at Kageyama for a second, it sunk in. "Kindaichi, don't be ridiculous."

"Don't stare at people, then. That looks weird."

Yahaba didn't understand why a first year was lecturing him, so he rolled his eyes and gave another shove to the cart to leave. 

Yahaba still tried to furtively look at Kageyama. There wasn't anything to be gained from it, but now Yahaba was curious. He wanted to know what kind of person could pull off that toss.  

Kageyama raised his head, and the sudden sharpness told Yahaba that Kageyama knew where Yahaba was looking. Yahaba's hands stilled on the cart handles, compelled by the intensity of his eyes. Kageyama took a step, and Yahaba tensed. 

Kageyama continued walking, and he stopped with the cart between them. 

"Can I help you?" Yahaba asked. 

Kageyama's frown returned, mouth tightening to the side. Yahaba could see it much better up close. It didn't have the angry mean impression that Yahaba got from Kindaichi, there was only a childish look to it, and the rest of his face was stiff. 

"You're Seijou's other setter?" 

"I'm not the  _other_ setter," Yahaba snapped. Kageyama was right, so he said it lowly. It would be humiliating if Kindaichi or someone else stepped in to correct Yahaba. 

Kageyama glanced at Yahaba's hands, and he picked one up and looked it over. Yahaba gawked at the gesture, his throat choking on a small wordless noise.  

"Oikawa-san's a third year. After he graduates, you'll be Seijou's main setter." 

Yahaba jerked and almost ducked. He twitched at the mention of  _main setter_ , remembering that Kageyama was Karasuno's main setter, and thoughts of setters liquefied in Yahaba's head. Kageyama was a first year, he still called Oikawa  _Oikawa-san,_ and he was really, really accurate. 

Yahaba yanked his hand away and dusted it off with his other hand. "Don't just grab people by the hand."

Kageyama grumbled, and the sinking of his head into his shoulders made Yahaba think that Kageyama was sulking.

"I don't know how you and Oikawa were, but we're not really friends, Kageyama."

Kageyama's eyes flickered around. "Did you learn anything about tossing from him?"

Yahaba pressed the cart forward. "I'm busy cleaning up." 

Kageyama stepped aside. His eyes were relaxed instead of insulted, and that made Yahaba slow his steps. He was  _trying_ to be pushy, but Kageyama didn't even notice.

"We're going to play in an official match, eventually," Kageyama said.

Yahaba leaned in to pick up the pace and wheel by him. He led the cart into the supply closet, and he closed the door with an unintentional slam.

Yahaba dragged his hands down the sides of his neck. Kageyama already expected him to be Seijou's setter after Oikawa, even though they barely met. It drove in an unfamiliar pressure, and Yahaba felt it manifest in his face alongside exhaustion.

Yahaba folded his hand against his ear, another strangled noise coming from his closed mouth. 

**Author's Note:**

> (General A/N that exists at the end of all my fics): I find unsolicited concrit really rude, I'm not looking for any. Please don't tell me someone was OOC/something happened you didn't like/it's too short/etc. in any bookmarks or comments.


End file.
